It will only take a moment of your
time and then please forward far and wide! Thank you very much!

------------------------

Gov. David A. Paterson

Executive Chamber

State CapitolAlbany, NY 12224

RE: NYS 1290

Dear Gov. Paterson,

The horrific practice of shackling pregnant
prisoners must be halted immediately.

Meghan Road recently wrote that:

"Pregnant women who are shackled are at risk
of injury during transportation to medical appointments, can suffer added pain
during delivery, and may be deprived of appropriate care during examinations
and delivery.

Officials from the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists have opposed shackling on the basis that
'physical restraints have interfered with the ability of physicians to safely
practice medicine by reducing their ability to assess and evaluate the physical
condition of the mother and the fetus ... thus, overall putting the lives of
women and unborn children at risk.'

The risks are heightened by the fact that the
pregnancies of women in custody are usually already high-risk because of their
past medical histories, which can include substance abuse and limited access to
prenatal care. In addition, the humiliation brought on by the shackling is
inflicted on women who often have already suffered sexual or physical
violence."

Proclaiming that a woman in the midst of giving
birth could constitute a flight risk would be laughable if it weren't actually
occurring. Treating these women so barbarically agitates underlying
issues of mental and physical instability which could lead to premature deaths,
damaged infants, torn and mutilated mothers, and rivals the torture practices
being actively debated today.

Gov. Paterson, do the right thing and desist this
abhorrent practice immediately. We are all entitled to human dignity.